Network asset survey tool for gathering data about node equipment

• US 6,220,768 B1
• Filed: 06/28/1996
• Issued: 04/24/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Oracle America, Inc. (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sun Microsystems Incorporated (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Barroux, Juan Carlos
• Primary Examiner(s): AN, MENG AI T
• Application Number:
  US08/671,107
• Time in Patent Office: 1,761 Days
• Field of Search: 395/200.53, 395/200.54, 395/835, 395/836
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0213 Standardised network management protocols, e.g. simple network management protocol [SNMP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/046 comprising network management agents or mobile agents therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0853 by actively collecting configuration information or by backing up configuration information
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/12 Discovery or management of network topologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/22 comprising specially adapted graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/51 Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services

Abstract

An efficient asset survey tool is disclosed. For networks having 3,000 nodes, equipment and configuration information may be collected in a few hours, even with no previous information collection. Certain implementations exploit services available at the nodes including TCP/IP related applications and remotely executable configuration information commands. The asset survey tool may be operated as a stand-alone tool or as an automatically invoked component of a more complete asset database management system. In a preferred embodiment, the asset survey tool operates non-intrusively with no need for installation of special software at surveyed systems.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for surveying a network comprising the steps of:

sending a plurality of SNMP variable value requests via said network, each of said plurality of requests addressed to a different address in a range of address space;

receiving a plurality of replies to said plurality of requests, each of said replies originating from a different address in said range;

extracting information from each of said replies, said information characterizing assets at said nodes receiving said plurality of messages and generating said replies, wherein said extracting step comprises parsing said replies to extract information identifying equipment of said receiving nodes; and

developing from said extracted information an asset database characterizing a current configuration of assets at said nodes generating said replies.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said extracting step comprises:

parsing said replies to extract nodenames of said receiving nodes.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein said extracting step comprises:

parsing said replies to extract information identifying operating system versions operating on equipment of said receiving nodes.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein said variable value requests request values associated with MIB objects.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein said MIB objects are sysDescr objects.

6. The method of claim 4 wherein said MIB objects are sysName objects.

7. The method of claim 4 wherein said MIB objects are ifPhysAddress objects.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein said network is a TCP/IP network and said address space is an IP address space.

9. A computer program product for surveying a network comprising:

code for sending a plurality of SNMP variable value requests via said network, each of said plurality of requests addressed to a different address in a range of address space;

code for receiving a plurality of replies to said plurality of requests, each of said replies originating from a different address in said range;

code for extracting information from each of said replies, said information characterizing nodes receiving said plurality of messages and generating said replies, wherein said code for extracting information comprises code that parses said replies to extract information identifying equipment of said receiving nodes;

code for developing from said extracted information an asset database characterizing a current configuration of assets at said nodes generating said replies; and

a computer-readable medium for storing said codes.

10. The product of claim 9 wherein said extracting code comprises:

code for parsing said replies to extract nodenames of said receiving nodes.

11. The product of claim 9 to wherein said extracting code comprises:

code for parsing said replies to extract information identifying operating system versions operating on equipment of said receiving nodes.

12. The product of claim 9 wherein said variable value requests request values associated with MIB objects.

13. The product of claim 12 wherein said MIB objects are sysDescr objects.

14. The product of claim 12 wherein said MIB objects are sysName objects.

15. The product of claim 12 wherein said MIB objects are ifPhysAddress objects.

16. The product of claim 9 wherein said network is a TCP/IP network and said address space is an IP address space.

17. A computer system configured to survey a network by virtue of being configured to:

send a plurality of SNMP variable value requests via said network, each of said plurality of requests addressed to a different address in a range of address space;

receive a plurality of replies to said plurality of requests, each of said replies originating from a different address in said range;

extract information from each of said replies, said information characterizing nodes receiving said plurality of messages and generating said replies;

parse said replies to extract information identifying, equipment of said receiving nodes; and

develop from said extracted information an asset database characterizing a current configuration of assets at said nodes generating said replies.

18. A computer network comprising a plurality of nodes, including a network management station configured to survey a network by virtue of being configured to:

send a plurality of SNMP variable value requests via said network, each of said plurality of requests addressed to a different address in a range of address space;

receive a plurality of replies to said plurality of requests, each of said replies originating from a different address in said range;

extract information from each of said replies, said information characterizing nodes receiving said plurality of messages and generating said replies;

parse said replies to extract information identifying equipment of said receiving nodes; and

develop from said extracted information an asset database characterizing a current configuration of assets at said nodes generating said replies.